Wonder!

Hello friends!  I hope that you have enjoyed these weeks of summer.  I have enjoyed a few weeks off to spend time with my family and escape into summer reading!  In July, a group of us gathered to share our thoughts about the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio.  I highly recommend this book, especially for those of you who have children or grandchildren.

As a mother of five, one thing that really got to me in the book is how one of the characters felt kind of invisible compared to her brother who was born with a facial abnormality.  It really made me wonder how I may neglect my own children as I tend to the needs of their siblings, not to mention my insatiable desire to serve God’s people.  I wonder how I make others feel when I am so focused on completing a task that I fail to acknowledge someone right in front of me.  It reminded me how vital it is to make every person feel loved and important every day!

Wonder was a beautiful reminder to me of unconditional love which is possible when we look beyond what the eye can see.  When we see people with our heart we are able to see what lies within which gives us a glimpse of the face of God, for he is imprinted in each of our hearts.  Wonder reminded me that

^“ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.   It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.   Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails”.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

I am sure that you have heard the saying, “you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.”  This is a saying that I have always taken to heart in regards to my own actions.  I strive to be my best self when meeting people for the first time, however, I do not always guard my words and actions.  I fail to be the face of Christ 24/7.  Anyone else feel that way?  R.J. Palacio really challenged me in Wonder to guard my words; to think before I speak.  I made the mistake again just yesterday by saying something that I should not have said and I looked around to see who may have heard me.  I hope that if anyone heard my less than nice comment that they give me a second chance to make a first impression!  I hope that I can remember to do the same for others.  What would the world be like if we could each remember that “love does not dishonor others.”  I wonder!

Shalom,

Tina

They Say

Back in April I was lucky enough to take students from Kennedy to a leadership conference in Chicago called "We Day" which was sponsored by Me to We at the All State Arena.  Over 10,000 teens were empowered to make a positive change in themselves and the world.  In preparation for the event, All State began a marketing initiative entitled #theysayproject.  I highly recommend a Google search so that you can hear more about #theysay.......... All State wanted to hear from teens what they felt others had to say about them, in a sense, how do they feel profiled by others.  I wore that t-shirt recently and a woman asked me what it was all about and it made me remember some of the things that I learned when I did my own Google search of the project.

In the gospel, we hear Jesus ask "who do you say that I am."  While Father was talking with us about that conversation between Jesus and The disciples, it also made me think of the #theysayproject for They began filling in the hashtag . . . .#theysayJeremiah, #theysayElijah, #theysayagreatprophet.  Even Jesus was profiled based on his behavior.  This has been on my mind quite a bit lately because I am having my own insecurity issues with how I am perceived by others.  Like many other times in my life that Gospel story came just at the time when I needed to hear it, reminding me once again that Jesus always has the answer that I need to hear.

In deeper reflection, I could not help but think about how I may profile others.  After Jesus asked who do #theysay, he asked who do #yousayIam!  This reminds me how my response to others may make them feel.  Words and actions have such a powerful influence on others and the way that others feel about themselves.  In short, I realize that my words can either build another up or tear them down.  I wonder if Jesus asked this question because he was feeling discouraged or if the question was more for Peter's benefit.  After all, Jesus was human and very possibly could have had moments of discouragement and self-doubt.  I wonder.

I certainly have moments of self-doubt and it seems that when this happens to me, as it did in the days preceding hearing this Gospel story, my God puts in my path others to build me up #theysaydonotbediscouraged, #theysayyouarebeingthehandsofChrist, #theysaykeepupthegoodwork.  I am once again refreshed and renewed to continue answering Christ's call to be a servant to others because I allow these positive words to drown out the negative words thrust my way.

Always remember the power of your words.  Use them to build instead of destroy.  Times when you may be torn down from what #theysay about you, turn to the good news and listen to what God has to say to you.  Open the Gospels and hear what Jesus himself has to say and be strengthened by the power of those words!  Hear this #theysayIamabeatifulchildofGod!

Shalom,

Tina

Editor’s Note:  Searching for hashtags (what used to be called a pound sign, a tick-tac-toe grid, or a sharp in music back in the old-days) is very easy.  Simply open up a search engine of your choice such as Google and type in the hashtag and the string of letters/words following it…no spaces or capital letters.  For example, Tina has suggested that you search #theysay (this reads: hashtag they say).  The results of the search will collect everything (and I mean everything) that is labeled with #theysay.  You will see tweets, Facebook posts, pictures, videos, etc.  One thing to keep in mind is that anyone can use hashtags and sometimes they are abused or misused.  Enjoy!

Recently I enjoyed a presentation at our Women’s Guild meeting on the life of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.  Being a Catholic Educator, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton but I never studied her story.  I just knew that she was the first American born saint and that she was passionate about the Catholic School movement in America, especially to provide Catholic

education to the poorest of the poor.  Elizabeth had a heart for children and established the first American parish school and the first American Catholic orphanage.  Listening to the speaker share with us how important it was to Mother Seton that children have access to Catholic education I could not help but think of the current state of affairs of Catholic education in both Catholic Schools and Parish Religious Education programs.

In the face of another Catholic school closing, I am so proud to be a member of St. William Parish!  Our foremothers and forefathers valued Catholic education, and while our parish did not form a school as was the original plan, our parish has a long and solid history of supporting the local Catholic School.  It never seemed to matter how many of our parishioners attended the school – what mattered was that Catholic education was available to all children.  Thank you for supporting the thousands of students who have received Catholic education over the past 53 years even though only a few hundred of those students were our very own.

There was a time in the history of the United States when Catholic families valued Catholic education; whether that meant sending their child to Catholic School or faithfully attending Parish School Religion. At the heart of the life of the Catholic family was the celebration of liturgy.  Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton had a tremendous devotion to the Eucharist.  She came to understand through her own education and life experience that Jesus Christ was indeed present in the Eucharist and that once she received the Sacrament that she was strengthened to be the body of Christ for others.  Her love of the Eucharist gave her strength to open herself to the will of God.  WOW!  

My friends, we need the heart of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton!  We Catholic mothers and fathers need to unite and bring God back to the heart of the family, for it is clear that the average Catholic family does not value Catholic education or the celebration of the liturgy. This is painfully evident in the empty seats of our classrooms and churches and boarded up schools and parishes.

Elizabeth took on the battle of fighting for her new found faith as a Catholic.  It cost her the love of her family and friends.  To her, the sacrifice was worthy and paled in comparison to the cost that Jesus paid for our freedom.  I challenge you with the question . . . what is the sacrifice worth to you?  Is the sacrifice worth standing up to your child’s coach or dance teacher; is it worth putting up with the groaning of your teenager; is it worth spending one hour to honor God on the Sabbath?  What is the sacrifice of Christ worth to you?

Let us ask Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton to intercede on our behalf and pray that we will be open to the will of God and be faithful to the command of Christ to “go and teach all nations.”  Let us begin in our own home!

Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people. Through her example and prayers may we learn to express our love for you in love for our fellow men and women. We ask this through Christ our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.                                                 Catholic.org

Shalom,

Tina

For further reading:  http://americamagazine.org/issue/747/article/catholic-schools-we-need

Well, we survived our second Mother’s Day with my mother living in heaven.  My sisters, daughter and I spent a fun day with my Dad and I found myself ever grateful to be surrounded by loving family.  I found comfort as always in the words of God . . .

“May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe.”

                                                                                                Ephesians 1:18-20

Think for a minute of the “surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe” in the context of the early Christians.  They witnessed their beloved suffer and die.  They swaddled him in burial cloth and laid his body to rest.  And yet, on the third day he stood before them in the flesh as they clung to each other in the upper room.  Having experienced the greatness of his power, they would certainly know the meaning of hope!  That hope carried them through as Jesus ascended into heaven and they shared that hope with others.  It is that same hope which enlightens our eyes and hearts today.  We can be certain that the riches he promised us will indeed be experienced if we but follow his word and live in his love.

My prayer for you is that you may keep your eyes and hearts open to see the greatness of his power in others.  For when Christ went back to heaven, he made sure that we were gifted with the power of the spirit and left us the gift of Eucharist.  As we take in his body let us remember that as Christ becomes a part of us we must reflect Christ to others.  The greatness of his power must be spread through our eyes and hearts and hands and feet.  Let us be sure that all know the hope that belongs to his call.

Shalom,

Tina

Wait

I have been thinking lately about how much time I spend waiting and those thoughts naturally led to how many of us wait for a variety of things.  We wait for the birth of a child, or for a loved one to take their last breath.  We wait for medical test results – will this be cancer?  We wait for academic test results – will my ACT be good enough for the scholarship I hope to receive – will I pass this course – will my child pass their driving test – will my parent pass their driving test?  We wait for a child’s first tooth to come in and we wait for partials to be completed.  We wait in line for groceries and in the hope of gaining employment.  We wait for our parent to pick us up from school and we wait for the end of the work day so that we can be with our children.  We wait for the phone to ring in hopes that someone would just call to say hello.

The more I thought of all these things that fill our lives with wait and worry – I found myself drawn to the upper room.  Sometimes when I wait and worry it feels as if that darkness of the upper room encompasses my every thought and feeling.  It sometimes becomes so easy to allow the darkness of despair and hopelessness to rule my world.  I suspect that you may battle with that darkness just as I do at times. 

I cannot fathom what Mary and the eleven felt as they locked themselves in the darkness of the upper room.  Jesus was such a bright light in their world and such a source of hope.  That darkness must have been a crushing weight upon them.  We can relate to the weight of that darkness – but when we face that darkness with can know with certainty what the friends of Jesus could only wait for in hope.  We can enter darkness knowing that we are not abandoned!  Jesus is there in the darkness right along-side us – whispering our name and calling us to him.

So my friends, when you find yourself waiting and start to let that darkness surround you, remember to wait in hope – for HE is there!

The Promise by 4Him has often gotten me through times of waiting . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwS-p-n4Fco

Shalom,

Tina

His Presence

Oh – I have spent the past six Mondays “Awakening my Faith” with the most incredible group of people! As our time came to a close last evening, we listened to “The Eyes and Hands of Christ” by Tom Kendzia, and I commented how much they have been Christ’s presence to me over these past six weeks.  Being with others who share my love of Jesus Christ and hearing how they live out their baptismal promises was truly inspiring to me.  It got me thinking about how each of us make Christ present in the world through our acts of kindness and love toward each other.  This inspired me to write a little note to someone who has made Christ’s presence known to me. 

I often talk about “God’s time” and “little pockets of grace.”  After writing my note, I opened my email to find my daily 3 Minute Retreat from Loyola Press.  Alas – the topic of reflection this day is “We Are Christ’s Presence!”  God is always watching out for me!  I want to share with you part of the retreat reflection and I encourage you to visit Loyola Press.com to experience the 3 Minute Retreat (You can use the direct link provided on the News/Events Page of the St. William Champion website- http://www.stwilliamchampion.org/news-events.html)

These words affirm my experience of Christ and His Church.  I not only find myself describing our Holy Mass in much these same words, I find that I need to be broken open in order to make room for Christ to enter here!  I find myself being poured out as I struggle with being “the Body of Christ.”  This indeed is not easy work; no, it “is not passive.” As we enter into the Holy Triduum I am reminded how the physical body of Christ endured so much for me!  I am reminded how his hands took nails for me.  Knowing that makes it possible for me to reach my hand out to others.

I pray that you take time to celebrate these three holy days and remember that Christ has no body now but yours!

Shalom,

Tina

Sealed with The Spirit

On February 28 our youngest son was sealed by the spirit along with nine others young men and women of the church from St. William and young men and women of the church from St. Mary, Warren; St. Joseph, Mantua; St. Brendan, Youngstown; Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Lowellville and St. Edward, Youngstown.

 

Nathan McCue affirming his faith
with his sponsor and Bishop Murray
2/28/16 at St. Columba Cathedral

As a sponsor for one of our young ladies, I was lucky enough to have a front row seat which enabled me to witness everyone one of these young men and women being sealed with the spirit.  It was a beautiful gift to be able to witness Bishop Murry signing their foreheads and shaking their hands to congratulate them for making this commitment to their faith.  As I watched each of these members of the young church approach the Bishop I could not help but wonder what God has in store for them as we sung out “Veni Sacte Spiritus” . . .Come Holy Spirit!  I can’t wait to see how they will continue to grow in faith and learn to become adult members of the church.

Now, I know I have shared with you before how I love the rituals of the Catholic Church!  The sights and sounds and smell!  I have to admit that I kind of freaked my son out a little bit because I kept smelling his forehead.  Even as I write these words I tear up and am covered with a chill that can only be the presence of the spirit with me!  This reminds me how we humans need tangible signs of God’s presence in our lives.  There is something about the smell of the chrism oil that brings me a sense of complete peace.  When I ponder that Christ himself was anointed with sacred oil I feel such a connection to him.  I am reminded that he loved me so much he became one of us.

The day after Confirmation, our Awakening Faith group gathered to explore the question, “Do I Really Need the Spirit?”  Oh – God’s timing that this session would fall the day after my sweet son was confirmed as: Nathan Charles Wolfgang!  Do I need the Spirit . . . A resounding YES!  One of the questions was “what powers you the most?”  Well, besides coffee, the first thing that came to my mind was the gift of working with the young church.  I am filled with wonder and awe as I watch young men and women come into ownership of their faith.  

This feeling was further affirmed for me yesterday as I listened to three previously confirmed young adults of St. William address the newly confirmed.  They shared what their faith has come to mean to them and how serving the church has brought them closer to God and brings them such joy in knowing that by answering God’s call, they are giving thanks to Him for the many gifts they have received.  

To quote Chandler,

     “God knows and loves us always, even when we do something wrong or let him down.  We are constantly showered in unconditional love.  Being involved in ministry makes me feel like I’m giving back for that love. We are all imperfect human beings, but we are also strong-willed and capable.  If we honor God for the sake of honoring him, we have already received every reward that matters in this life.  So I encourage you, give it a shot. Try anything, even if it’s just singing a little louder at Church on Sunday (and believe me, I’d appreciate that, too) or helping clean up the Church after a holiday.  Give a little back to the guy who gave us all.

     I hope that in my brief talk, you found something to relate to and take with you as you start your journey in the Church as adults.  I wish all of you the best of luck, love, and happiness.”

Thank you Olivia, Noah and Chandler for showing us the face of Christ!

May each of us be inspired by the challenge to “just give it a shot” and awaken our faith to serve our good and merciful God!

Shalom,

Tina

Broken

Have you ever felt broken in life or spread so thin that you don’t really know where you belong?  These feelings have been overwhelming me a little bit lately as I struggle with balancing full time work and family life.  As I type this, it kind of makes me feel a little bit ashamed because I have been so blessed throughout my life.  When I think of single mothers who work full time and struggle to put food on the table, I feel like a whimpering child and pray that God gives me the strength to snap out of it!!

When I take an honest look at the course of my life, I see a clear pattern of always trying to find balance between my desire to do for others and my desire to care for my own family.  I love my husband and children fiercely but if I am to be completely honest with myself, I realize that I put them on the back burner most of the time.  This fills me with such shame.  During this season of lent, it is this sin that I lay at the foot of the cross.

Lent is a time to search inward and see what patterns in our life draw us away from God.  This is a struggle for me because while I feel I serve God by serving others, I am equally neglecting those whom should come first in my life.  While one draws me toward God, the other pulls me away from God.  Have you ever felt this pull?  Please pray for me as I come to terms with patterns of selfishness and pride which put my need for serving others before serving my husband and children.  Today is my daughter’s 17^th birthday and I have filled it working in the morning, traveling to Cleveland to be with Brian and working in the evening.  I have heard it said that the best gift we can give someone is the gift of our presence.  While I prepared her birthday meal yesterday, today, I could not give her the smallest gift my presence.

You know, one song that keeps coming on the radio that I really need to hear is “Broken Together.”  It speaks of how while we are not perfect, the only way to get through life is being “broken together.”  It helps me cling on to hope that my family will love me in my brokenness – that they will know my love for them even when I am too busy to be present to them.  God I hope they know my love for them!

I pray that “God will help our broken hearts align.”

I pray that whatever pain you may be going through, that “healing may be spoken.”

Shalom,

Tina

One thing Catholics know how to do well is RITUAL!  Light the candle . . . burn the incense . . . dim the lights . . . center oneself . . . focus on prayer . . . I LOVE IT!   I walk into the sanctuary sometimes and just stop and breathe in the scent of the room and declare to myself . . . oh, I love being Catholic!

As you know, being Catholic is more than signs and ritual . . . it embodies Christ’s call to go out to the world and be his hands and feet.  One of my personal rituals has been turning the calendar.  Now, the past two years I have not honored this ritual, and it is something that I need to honor once again.  Oh, I would spend so much time choosing the calendar that we would use for the year – and interestingly enough, I have found that the themes I have chosen have indicated a maturity in myself.  When our children were little, I chose fun calendars . . . then switched to country folk art.  In my 40’s the themes were more about me – herbs, coffee, wine, psalms.  My 2015 and 2016 calendars have been the St. William Parish calendar.  As my mom lay dying, I just could not bring myself to purchase a calendar.  I did not want to face filling up those little squares without her.

Once the perfect calendar was chosen, I would carve out time to fill in the new calendar ~ often with a candle lit and a fresh cup of coffee or a nice Pinot in hand.  The first thing I would fill in is all the family birthdates, dates of death, Baptism, anniversary dates and as I wrote each name, I would think of them and smile as I wrote the age they would be turning.  Then I would tackle the events for each month – school – church – work – personal.  As I looked back upon the year, I would marvel on how we accomplished everything!  As I looked upon the nice clean squares waiting to be filled I would wonder what excitement would await us in this new year and I would look forward to those summer months when a few squares would be gloriously BLANK and think – oh – I am going to lay in the sun with a good book on that day!

I have saved most of the calendars over the past 31 years of married life.  It is fun to get them out sometimes for they mark the changes in our lives. Those little squares tell a story of how we choose to live.  For God tells us through scripture “where your treasure is, there shall your heart be also.”  I think the same hold true of the yearly calendar, for our yearly calendar certainly reflects a pattern of lives dedicated to God.

In this Year of Mercy, let us all try to fill our calendar with moments of sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and giving drink to the thirsty.  Let us remember every day to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Shalom,

Tina

Baptism

On this feast of the Baptism of our Lord, I can’t help but think of the baptism of my own children.  Yesterday, January 8, is the Baptism Day of our first born, Joshua.  It also happens to be our daughter-in-law’s birthday!  I wish I could have transported myself to North Carolina to celebrate Ashley’s 30^th birthday and Joshua’s 27^th Baptism day.

When our children were little, I tried to remember to do a little something extra on their Baptism day and I am sad to report that I have not held on to that tradition.  I am going to try harder this year to be sure to celebrate this important day in the life of my children.  I make it a point to transfer those dates year after year on the new calendar, but I have failed to properly celebrate the day that they became a member of God’s church. 

I could not wait to bring my children to the waters of baptism.  At the time when Joshua and Katherine were baptized, St. William only offered baptism after Mass, one Sunday a month.  When Deacon Harvey and Fr. Mike began to offer for children to be baptized during Mass we jumped at the opportunity because for us, this was a communal celebration.  I still get goose bumps when I close my eyes and remember my Anna, Elizabeth and Nathan being blessed by parishioners.  Anna was blessed by Joe Owens who was near to 100 years old at the time of her baptism!  Oh my goodness, I got so choked up!  I love to watch the faces of parents as they stand at the altar watching Father carry their child around the church for our blessings because I remember that incredibly powerful moment.  I will forever cherish gazing upon the faces of Josh and Ashley as they watched their first born, Addison, being blessed by our parish family!

Think about the awesome gift of Baptism – the opportunity to be wiped clean – to be claimed, by the sign of the cross, as a child for Christ, regardless of the age of a person when they are baptized.  As baptized Christians, we are each claimed for Christ “not because of any righteous deeds we had done
but because of his mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

Titus 3:5.

Scripture assures us that we are not only washed clean by the waters of baptism, but sealed by the fire of Holy Spirit, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:16b As Catholics we celebrate this gift through the Sacrament of Confirmation.  Let us keep in our prayers the eleven young people of our parish who will be sealed the Spirit in February.  One of these young people is our youngest son, Nathan!  Being the youngest of five children, witnessing Nathan receive each of the sacraments has been especially meaningful to me, but that story is for another day . . .

For now, let us imagine that the words our Father spoke as His Son was baptized were also spoken on the day of our baptism . . .

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

                                                                                                            Luke 3:22b

Shalom,

Tina

Serving our Young Church

I love working with the young people of our parish and teens from other parishes and Kennedy.  It is incredibly life giving to watch young people develop the gifts that God gave to them.

It was such a privilege on Saturday to work alongside our teens to serve dinner for our seniors.  Throughout the four hour work window, over fifty teens in grades 7-12 gave up their Saturday afternoon to be of service to others.  Whether they cut dessert, served the meal or washed dishes, they carried out their duty with such joy.  It was amazing to watch them interact with our guests ~ which was the hope that we had in mind when we planned the dinner way back in July.  I am so proud of their good work and their joyous spirit. 

Thursday morning, I will be leaving with two of our teens to head to the National Catholic Youth Conference.  I am so looking forward to seeing 25,000 teenagers come together to give worship and praise to our God.  I know that the air will be a-buzz with their enthusiasm and energy.  I so look forward to being revitalized by their spirit.  Throughout the four days, I will be posting messages on Facebook, so be sure to stay tuned in as I try to put into words all that we experience while in Indy.

 

I ask that you keep us in your prayers, and assure you that you will remain in our prayers.  The theme for NCYC is Here, I Am Lord.  I can’t wait to see how our young church answers this call from God when he beckons, whom shall I send.  For now, I personally answer, “Here I am Lord, send me.”

Shalom,

Tina

The Pilgrimage

I was so excited to start to share with you my experience of seeing Pope Francis that I failed to begin at the beginning . . . the pilgrimage.

I left off last week where I really should have begun . . . the reason that I was called to join this pilgrimage.  I heard word that the World Meeting of Families was being held in Philadelphia.  This is what first caught my attention and I wondered if it would be possible for my family to participate in this incredible event.  Then I heard that Pope Francis would be coming to the Festival of Families!  Oh my goodness, my excitement grew to a whole new level.  It was shortly after the announcement was made that I received an email from Dave Schmidt at the Office of Pro-Life, Marriage and Family Life at the Diocese of Youngstown saying a pilgrimage had been planned to attend the Festival of Families and the Papal Mass.  I was hooked!

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pilgrimage is a noun defined as “a journey to a holy place” or “a journey to an unusual place.” Hmmmm, I do believe that venturing off on a bus to a camp ground with 50 others with the intent of joining millions definitely counts for “an unusual place.”  In search of a way to grasp the true meaning of a pilgrimage, I found this to be quite helpful to me from

www.Spiritual Travels.com.

“The ancient practice of pilgrimage—a journey taken for spiritual enrichment—is being rediscovered by Christians around the world.  In the past, such trips often took many months and entailed great physical risk.  Today’s pilgrimages may be taken by airplane or car, but the goal is the same as that of seekers trudging down deserted path centuries ago:  like them, we set out on the road to hear the voice of God more clearly, hoping that as we journey our hearts may be opened and our souls healed.”

It is the last line that explains my reasoning for wanting to join this pilgrimage “to hear the voice of God more clearly.”  My pilgrimage began the moment that I decided I needed to travel to a not-so-unusual place to see and hear a very holy person.  Prayer was an integral part of our pilgrimage to Philly.  While on the bus we prayed the Rosary, the Divine Chaplet, Morning and Evening Prayer.   Ann and I were privileged to lead the Morning Prayer on the way to and from Philadelphia on Sunday.  It was such an honor.  Marianne made a beautiful song sheet and everyone on the bus just wanted to keep singing on the way to Philly.  It was a glorious sound and I certainly could “hear the voice of God more clearly” when I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of singing and praying among us! 

The pilgrimage was not simply to see the Pope even though that is what I tend to focus on when I talk with people.  The pilgrimage included pockets of grace such as sharing the experience with a beautiful family with ten children; witnessing the excitement and tears of a young student from Kennedy who sings in the choir with me as she described the moment that “she saw him,” hearing that the man who organized the entire event stayed back to help someone in need thereby being the very hands of Christ; gazing at the eclipse of the moon with others after celebrating the Papal Mass; all of these moments of grace along the journey did indeed open my heart and allowed me to see the face of Christ in others. 

I often say that everywhere we step is holy ground because we are each made for holiness.  We are all pilgrims along this journey toward heaven and I am so very glad to be “trudging down” the path along with you!

Shalom,

Tina

Community

St. William celebrated a wonderful family meal today at our annual Parish Picnic.  As usual, Father Balash had the perfect homily . . . reminding us of the open invitation Jesus offers us every day to come to his table and share in the sacred meal of the Eucharist. 

I personally was very emotional today at Mass, for when my Anna walked into the worship space, it shot right to my heart that this was our last Mass together before she goes off to college.  My Anna, who many of you blessed as she was carried around the church on her baptism day, will be leaving Tuesday for Loyola Chicago.  It dawned on me that I will not have the chance until next summer to listen to her as she proclaims the Word of the Lord.  Oh, it hit me hard.  I love to hear her tell Christ’s story.  Then Father had to go and talk about Eucharist and I thought . . . oh no . . .after the family Mass at Loyola I will not be able to share the Eucharistic meal with her until she comes home for Thanksgiving!  Oh boy . . .I was in trouble.  If you were at Mass today, now you know why I started on the wrong chord for the Communion song . . . I was a mess inside.

The picnic has always been such a fun event for our family.  I remember when the children were little and they would get soaked by fire truck.  Back then the children got to sit up in the truck and the truck would drive them around in the parking lot.  It was always the highlight of the day!  I am so grateful that this simple tradition remains as part of our day.  Seeing these young children soaking wet brought back so many wonderful memories for me.

So, thank you my Saint William family for helping me get through a tough Sunday.  As I sit here sharing my thoughts with you, my Anna is finishing up her packing.  I am enjoying being in her presence, my heart is over being sad and I look forward to traveling to Chicago and spending three days helping her get settled in, going to orientation, and then the highlight of the festivities, celebrating the Sacred Liturgy with her in the beautiful Loyola chapel. 

My prayer for Anna and all of our graduates of the Class of 2015 as they spread their wings to college,

 "… Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed,

 for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."                                Joshua 1:9

Stay safe and go forth to proclaim the gospel with your life!

Shalom,

Tina

Regeneration

After a busy weekend, I finally made it to the Lake!  The harsh winter, stormy spring and summer has taken its toll on the shores of Lake Erie.  It is astounding how much the beach has eroded.  The day I arrived, the wind was fierce on the bay side; so much so that the waves were slapping over the back dock and we could feel the spray all the way over on the house deck.  In contrast, the lake was as still as glass.  So much of the beach has been washed away that even the roots of trees, once unseen under layers of sand, are jutting out precariously throughout what remains of the beach.  Some of the roots are sticking up out of the sand with jagged edges; a danger to any barefoot beach-goer.  A ledge has now been formed making the drastic change in the beach ever more apparent.

As I sat viewing how battered the beach looked, I could not help thinking that this is how life is at times, and it is certainly a reflection of the life I have lived this past year.  Storms in life come and go and the constant force of trial and sadness can slowly peel away the person you once were.

I am writing this on my second morning here . . . the first morning that I was able to be at the beach by myself.  The winds have changed; the bay had calmed and the lake is once again moving.  As I sat facing the rising sun I kept asking myself, who is the woman that I have become this year.  Even now as I type I am facing my reflection in the sliding glass door . . . ten pounds heavier than last year at this time when I left the lake to meet my family at the Cleveland Clinic for Mom’s appointment with the head of the spinal surgical unit . . .  reflecting on how I have been changed by the storm called ALS.  This storm battered my mother; eroded away her ability to use her body until her lungs could no longer expel the carbon dioxide, thereby leaving toxins behind, much like the dangerous roots sticking out of the sand, just waiting to do more damage to the innocent person walking along the beach.

With these heavy thoughts weighing down my heart, I sat there praying for regeneration and lightheartedly thought of Dr. Who.  For those who may not know; Dr. Who is a television series about a time-traveler.  Every once in a while, Dr. Who regenerates – light bursts forth from him and he takes on a new image (well, a new actor usually.)  Being the Christian that I am, I always think when this happens that perhaps that is what we may look like when God calls us back home and we shed this earthly vessel so that our soul can return to God.

So, I made my way out of the chair to stand and meditate before God.  I focused on the word I chose while on retreat at Villa Maria, faced the rising sun and listened to God speak to me through the sound of the water, the feel of the wind and the singing of the birds.  Warmed not only by the rising sun, I felt embraced by the ever present SON.  My peace of mind is restored and I am once again as calm as the lake on the day I arrived, humbled in the sight of the Lord.

“Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord.  Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up; higher and higher and he will lift you up.” James 4:10

I pray that you find rest in God through life’s storms; though battered and torn, regeneration can be found in arms of the Holy One!

Shalom,

Tina

Book Club Update

Jambo!  (a common Swahili greeting)

I love to read.  It is a hobby that brings me true relaxation.  I can escape from the world around me and be transported into another world, sometimes one filled with danger and suspense as I love to read suspense novels.

Since I have returned to the workforce, I found that I was doing less and less leisurely reading.  This prompted me to start the Summer Book Club, now in its third year.  In searching for books for summer reading, I rely upon advice from our Diocesan librarian, Carla Hlavac.  She is a wealth of knowledge and seriously brought me probably 15 books to consider!  She is amazing.  One of the books pulled at my heart strings because it documents a priest’s time (while studying to become a Jesuit priest) serving God’s people in East Africa.  Having sent a daughter half way across the world to help build a school and run water lines in the Maasai Mara, I had to read this book!

Recently a few St. William mamas (Swahili for mature woman) and I shared our thoughts on the book, “This Our Exile” by James Martin, S.J.  He tells many of his adventures while serving refugees in East Africa.  One thing that really hit home to each of us is what a privileged life we lead here in the United States of America.  It is true that we have our share of poverty, civil unrest, unemployment, homelessness; however, we also have access to shelters and soup kitchens and government assistance.  It is eye-opening, at least to me, that most people in the world do not have access to even the basic human need of clean drinking water.  

 

Another aspect of the book that we all enjoyed was being able to witness the transformation that happened to Fr. Martin.  He went into Nairobi, Kenya because he was ordered to do so as a two year learning experience.  Like many men and women who embark on mission work, he was filled with exuberance at the thought of how he would be able to make positive change in the world.  And, like many men and women, he came back a changed man.  In the words of Fr. Martin, “The refugees, as I said before, changed me.  They changed the way I look at poverty.  The refugees changed the way I look at humanity.  The refugees changed the way I looked at God, too.  The refugees broke my heart, too.  But they broke my heart in another way: they broke it open, helping me to receive God’s love in a new way from people I would have never expected to know so well.”

When I reflect upon these words of Fr. Martin, I think of how we are each given the opportunity every day to be changed by the ways God is revealing himself to us.  We also have the opportunity to be the catalyst of change for others.  My Anna traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with John F. Kennedy Catholic School and their relationship with the Me to We Foundation/Free the Children.  Their motto is “Be the Change.”  I pray that someone breaks your heart open to receive God’s love and that you in turn can be that change for others.

Our next book club session will be held Tuesday, August 11 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  We will be discussing the book, Our Lady of the Lost and Found.  A Novel of Mary, Faith, and Friendship by Diane Schoemperlen.  I encourage you to consider reading this novel and “meet me on the lawn”  so that together we can see how our Mother Mary may be waiting to break our hearts open for God just in time to celebrate the Assumption!

Kwaheri kwa sassa, (goodbye for now)

Tina

This our Exile. A Spiritual Journey with the Refugees of East Africa.  James Martin, S.J. ©1999, 2011 by The Society of Jesus of New England.  Published by Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0302.

Meditation

In today’s Gospel, Mark recounts for us how the disciples came back to Jesus to share their experiences of healing and casting out demons in his name.  The first thing that Jesus says to them is “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Jesus knew the importance of stepping away from a task in order to rest.  It is through rest that we are able to rise refreshed to continue the work of the day; the work that God has planned for us.

The opportunities for rest and relaxation are far and wide, however, I think that what Jesus wants for his disciples, the original twelve and all of us in the current era, is to find true spiritual rest.  Spiritual rest involves quieting our minds and setting the world aside for a time in order to hear God speak.  Long ago I learned the art of meditating; however, I have allowed the busy-ness of life to keep me from this spiritual gift.  Yoga has also been an outlet of spiritual rest for me which I have recently re-introduced to my life thanks to the Women’s Guild and the ladies who participated in Praying with the Body.

Every year, the Diocese of Youngstown Office of Religious Education offers those in parish ministry a retreat opportunity.  This year the retreat was held at Villa Maria Spiritual Center in Villa Maria, PA.  I feel so refreshed after spending a few days at the Villa.  First of all, the grounds are beautiful.  Nature itself affords us so many opportunities for retreat when we slow down enough to notice.  This was also very apparent at the Jesuit Spiritual Center.  Benches, Adirondack chairs, placed perfectly under trees, tucked away in quiet spaces beckoning you to come and sit and listen to God speak through nature.  Each facility also offered the labyrinth; a journey of walking with God.  Oh, what joy when you can push everything out of your mind and simply walk with God.

One session which I attended at the Villa was guided meditation.  Now, I may have shared this already, but the memory is so very clear I can’t help but talk with you about the experience.   I had really been struggling with the death of my mom.  I felt so far away from her being that she is in heaven and here I am still on the earth.  As Sister was preparing us for meditation, she asked us to find a word upon which we could focus.  As we took a breath, we were focus on the word.    After just three breaths, I was filled with such a bright light and piercing of my heart that I started to weep and nearly left the room.  The feeling was too intense for my human body to hold.  I stayed . . . breathed again . . . and let my spiritual being accept what God was showing me.  I exclaimed, “ah, there you are God!  There is my Mom, right there in my innermost being, the center of my heart.”  So, when I am weighed down by the tasks of the day, I take a breath; focus on my word; and find my God.

I pray that you can make time for retreat and encourage your children to do the same.  We will once again participate in the Kairos retreat for High School students held at Villa Maria in February and pray at the labyrinth in May.  I will be working this year to form adult retreat opportunities.

Until then, find a word; as you inhale focus on the word; as you exhale focus on the word.  Close your mind from everything but your breath and that word.  I pray that you will find God.

Shalom,

Tina

The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

When I hear the word Eucharist, so many different images come to my mind.  First and foremost is of course, Holy Communion.  As a Catholic, I firmly believe that Jesus works through the Holy Spirit and common bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Jesus; holy gifts for God’s holy people.  Through scripture, we know that Jesus declared “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”  John 6:35.  While I believe with my whole heart that Jesus nourishes me through Eucharist, I find that the more I believe this to be true, the more I hunger for justice; the more I thirst for knowledge; the more I want others to believe in this wondrous miracle, this perfect sacrifice offered for all.  I long for the day when all Christians come to believe in the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion.

During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I love to listen to the eloquent prayers offered by the priest.  The words are rich in meaning and echo the words spoken by Jesus when he shared his last Passover meal with his friends.  I hang on to the words “do this in memory of me.”  I am often asked why I go to church so often.  My answer is so simple, “because Jesus asked me to.”  He asked me to remember him – to remember his sacrifice.

Just as Jesus took the bread, offered thanksgiving to the Father, blessed it, broke it and shared it with others; so too does he take me by the hand every time I celebrate this holy meal.  He thanks God for me ~ he blesses me ~ he breaks me open so that I can receive him ~ then he beckons me to go forth and share him with others.

I share this good news with you my friends.  Jesus lives through the good deeds that you and I do in his name.  Let us share this communion ~ this common belief ~ and through our Eucharist ~ our thanksgiving ~ let us give flesh to Jesus by being his hands and his feet and bring peace to this world in memory of him!

Shalom,

Tina

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the Most Holy Trinity – our awesome GOD. 

I like to use the metaphor of water in trying to teach second grade students this mystery of the Trinity.  To describe God the Father, we (my partner teachers) have the students think of flowing water.  We ask the following questions:  What makes up most of the earth?  WATER.  What is the one thing that the human body needs to survive?  WATER. God is as vast as the oceans, he “reigns” down from heaven, and we cannot live without him.

Maid in the Trinity ~www.catholicworldart.com

To describe God the Son, we get an ice cube.  We talk about how humans could not grasp God as the Father, just as we cannot hold liquid water in our hand.  So God the Father asked God the Son if he would leave heaven and become man.  The Son obeyed and for a time, humanity was given the gift of being able to touch God – physically touch him – a solid being and yet divine.  We could not hold on to him forever, for just as an ice cube melts in your hand and returns to liquid water, the Son had to return to heaven.

The Spirit was next and while the Spirit of God is promised all throughout scripture, the Son promised again that he would send an advocate.  We put the ice cube in a steamer and watch the steam rise to get an idea of the Spirit, a vapor, mysterious – you can pass your and through it but you cannot grasp hold of it.  Steam has the power to put things into motion just and the Spirit gives us strength when we need help.

This lesson may seem a little simple but oh, to see the students try to hold a cup of water in their hand, have them hold an cold ice cube – feel the smooth texture of it and watch it evaporate into steam is a remarkable thing to witness.  We can learn so much when we remember to marvel at the simplest things, when we remember that no matter what our age, we are children of God.

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”                                                                                                                                                                                              Romans 8:16-17

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

Revelations 1:8

Shalom,

Tina

Seventh Sunday of Easter ~ The Ascension of Jesus

Have you ever experienced the joy in being reunited with a dear friend or family member whom you have not seen in some time?  Just to hear their voice, their laughter, to see the light in their eyes brings comfort and somehow makes you feel whole again.  Then reluctantly, you must return to your corner of the world and feel a little melancholy for a few days because you miss being in their presence.

This is something that I think about quite often when I reflect upon the resurrection and ascension of our Lord.  I often wonder what it was like for the apostles, friends and family of Jesus when he told them that he would be leaving them once again after rising from the dead.  I mean, really, that had to feel like their heart tearing in two all over again.  As I was thinking about this, I remembered a prayer that I submitted to be published in a book of prayers which I was lucky enough to help create with students and administration of John F. Kennedy Catholic School, Kennedy Prays.  I would like to share the prayer which I wrote for the second Glorious Mystery, The Ascension.

I feel such peace in Your presence but now You say You must go. Your father awaits You. I am afraid to be without You again. Yet – as You rise to the Heavens – to Your father – the Peace remains with me. You have left part of Yourself here. You reside within me! Thank you! Hallelujah!

 

When Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered death and was buried, his mother, family members and friends were left with a terrible sense of loss.  Their world was ripped in two just as surely as was the temple.  Three days of darkness and their world opened back up again just like the gates of heaven when Jesus stood in their midst in the upper room.  They came to realize that indeed he was the Son of God.  After spending 40 glorious days once again in his presence, he tells them he must go.  Did they beg him to stay?  I wonder. 

 

I tend to think that this separation did not bear the same agony as his death; for they could now be certain that he was going to prepare a place for them in heaven.  This separation brought them hope that they would be reunited with Jesus in the kingdom of God.

 

This is a hope to which I cling, especially since my mother went home to heaven.  I long for the day to be reunited with her in the presence of the Holy One.  Until then, I will do my best to  . . .

 

“live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”                                       Ephesians 4:2-3

 

Shalom,

Tina

Operation Rice Bowl

From the Heart . . .

Every year we religiously take home the CRS Rice Bowl at the beginning of lent.  When our children were young, we were pretty consistent in praying for highlighted family of the week.  Every year I would begin lent with the intention of making the weekly recipe.  We would throw our spare change in throughout the 40 days, and if we found that we weren’t too generous with our spare change, we would put a $5 or $10 in the rice bowl before turning in our rice bowl on Holy Thursday.  Does this sound familiar to you?

As our children grew and our gathering around our dinner table declined, we have gotten out of the practice of using the rice bowl as a form of prayer during the Lenten season.  Inspired by the 40^th anniversary of Operation Rice Bowl, I am trying to get back into the practice of truly using the rice bowl to help me, and my family, practice the three pillars of lent ~ prayer ~ fasting ~ giving.

I love the daily reflections and the suggestion of the sacrificial giving for the day.  I especially liked the suggestion of putting $1.00 in the rice bowl for every chair at your dining room table.  This really hit a heartstring for me because the dining room table is the heart of our home, even if we aren’t gathering for a meal.  As I put that $6.00 in the rice bowl, I realized that each dollar doesn’t represent the chair, it represents my child who is able to comfortably sit and never have to worry about being hungry.  Perhaps that dollar will bring comfort to another mother somewhere in the world who struggles daily just to feed her child, let alone provide shelter and comfort. 

With the help of CRS Global Kitchen, we have made two of the recipes and have found them to be quite delicious.  Perhaps since two of our children have served our global community, I am more aware of global solidarity than I ever was before.  Looking for a way to celebrate Lent? 

Prayer:  Pray the Rice Bowl Prayer and read the message for the day

Fasting:  Prepare the suggested dish ~ or eat simply at least one night of the week

Giving:  Be intentional with your sacrificial giving

#4Lent4Life  #prayfastgive #40yearsofserving

Shalom,

Tina